israel's poised for a full scale invasion of gaza while fresh air strikes killed law civilians amid international efforts to mediate peace. in the latest escalation militant rockets target jerusalem for the first time with escalations on both sides all the details just ahead. britain considers the lifting of an easy arms embargo to send weapons to syrian rebels some may join france and turkey in recognizing the new opposition group aiming to oust. and also this hour police in england and wales raise the alarm as layoffs are growing workload and no support from the government role in the force to another president alone.

live from our new center here in moscow this is r.t. with international news and comment twenty four hours a day fresh air strikes have killed more civilians in gaza despite israel's pledge to hold fire during a brief visit by the egyptian prime minister to the strip and the us and other militant groups are retaliating their sirens have gone off in jerusalem as rockets were launched at the city from god some parties tom barton is in the region with the latest and joins me now tom this is the first time jerusalem has been targeted by hamas what is the word on casualties and damage so far. indeed it is the moment no word on casualties or thirty's saying at the moment neither of those rockets towards jerusalem fell in built up areas no damage

reported either but again it's a very shocking development. for many israelis to hear the sirens go off over jerusalem and hear those explosions over the city of course earlier in the day as well rocket fired very close to tell of eve the sirens going off there and the next promotion all of this really very shocking for the israeli population that didn't expect rockets to reach that far from garza televisa was targeted yesterday as well and all of this coming the background of renewed airstrikes today started off with a very intense bombardment by israeli forces in gaza we also had today of the major event of the visit by by egypt's prime minister to the

garza strip and then also these rocket attacks all of this contributing perhaps to the speculations and to the worries of a possible ground offensive by israeli forces towards the gaza strip. israel's poised for that ground invasion as you're just mentioning health far off though does that look as if it's going to happen. well there are there's a constellation of evidence as it were that could point to wards that i've seen pictures on israeli television of columns of tanks and armored vehicles amassing near the border with gaza there's also reports thirty thousand reservists are ready to be deployed we've also got reports of. infantry brigades of course it leads to finishing their preparations for any assault that may be needed

ominous sounding sounding words there and various evidence like that on the ground also statements from various israeli government and defense folks people talking about a lot of talk about. phase two of the operation and whether that means ground offensive after this aerial bombardment it's not exactly sure but it should be noted that in two thousand and eight to nine operation cast lead which involved a major ground offensive took place at night that was thought to have given the israeli attackers an advantage and there's also been a statement to the effect that this is far from over say the israelis and that there's a lot more of these kind of operations to come so there's a lot of worries about that when it egypt's prime minister toward guards early in

the day went to a hospital while he was there two civilians were killed in an israeli airstrike were brought into the hospital one of them a child and he said later that he held that child in the blood remained on his shirt so shocked was that he was he that he said he couldn't keep silent and that he wanted israeli israel to stop its aggression israel for its part maintain. that it has the right and it will do everything in its power to defend people in the south of israel all of these escalations with the rockets with the intensified bombardment all of that not pointing the way of a deescalation and possibly pointing towards a ground war in gaza. tom thanks very much indeed for that artie's tomball live in tel aviv well gaza's former health minister told r.t. that the israeli army operation is breaking international law. and you put a little girl in studies or proof that israel is using internationally prohibited

weapons in quality and quantity managed to destroy many buildings and houses using percussion bombs which led to the collapse of many of the surrounding buildings ruger the bodies of those killed were completely burned and this clearly shows they have used prohibited weapons others died in hospitals and we weren't able to diagnose because of their deaths we're talking here about one hundred sixty injured in these attacks the majority of whom were children women and elderly the majority of those who died were children who suffered from seventy five percent to ninety percent burns. israel maintains its conducting a successful operation despite the rising number of civilian casualties in gaza. spoke to a tel aviv official who denied causing damage i want to say that we have only one goal israel has to defend its citizens i'm sure that there is no state no state no russia and no state and europe and no united states of america can

agree with this kind of situation you know our children our elders are fired by rockets on our schools on our civilians and we target on the terrorists with one very simple goal to stop this firing of rockets on our civilians and we will target terrorists until they stop would you care to explain why the palestinian interior ministry has also been targeted in fact that building is basically left in a state of rubble and ruin that's hardly a militant stronghold in fact the the interior ministry is where people get passports visas it's where journalists get their permission to go into the strip why go off to why level the interior ministry the explanation is very simple unfortunately i must tell wrists while they target our civilians they hide behind their civilians. they hide behind schools now the i.d.f.

our army that wants only to defend our citizens targets only terrorists garza is an extremely confined area a very small area probably certainly overpopulated why are so many children being killed by israeli air strikes if you're going after militants there are no children been heard by idea if only terrorists heard only terrorists are targeted while the visit of egyptian of the prime minister of egypt israel didn't fly and didn't attack any target in gather but a mass here is the target israeli civilians while the visit of the prime minister of egypt and i suggest you check the information because there it cannot be people hurt while the visit of the prime minister of egypt because we didn't also doing i'll certainly get my information you are absolutely right according to the i.d.f. no airstrikes were carried out on the gaza strip juror the during the visit of the

egyptian prime minister although somehow two palestinians did manage to die the israeli army and the israeli government will do everything needed targeting terrorists only terrorists to stop the firing of rockets on israeli cities on these really schools israeli children and if we will need some ground operation we definitely will consider so. well for more on the conflict between israel and gaza let's not cross to german politicians. well britain and the us have strongly condemned the masses action germany stance on this. i mean unfortunately they also condemn timeouts it's right to condemn hamas for. showing the rockets were true through but i would also thought that she would return. no in the usa the policy because what we just heard is what picture it's i mean saying that just

terrorists were targeted. we all have seen the pictures of children for killed and so i mean just saying there's no collateral damage is just ridiculous and what frightens me most is that no the weirdest does not reacting really clear against the current israeli government was even worse is that it seems to be part of an election campaign of it and you know it to target and to attack. considering that there are selection a couple of weeks and weeks for what about egypt's role in all of this obviously egypt has been denouncing israeli strikes on gaza that inheriting the role of mediator from former president mubarak morsi he's got a pretty difficult job hasn't he what what should he be doing. i mean it was not so much of sort of a mediator i mean he was pretty clearly following you with policies here and now it's new i mean president morsi of egypt to doing so egypt today is not egypt

yesterday and i think the big question for all of us is yes what is egypt today in this conflict we don't know i think it was a very smart move of conduit to visit gaza today but i think all of us are watching now and see what exactly will be the position of the new georgian government here obviously it's not that close anymore to the u.s. position but whether they go into a confrontation with news radio government we will have to see despite this support from the likes of the u.s. and britain israel really is on thin ice now isn't it is it being increasingly surrounded by extremists bearing in mind the volatility of the region. why do you think it is actually provoking more enemies at this very delicate stage. it's so dangerous and really you know how do we couldn't believe my eyes when when when i saw the first pictures yesterday and. said i think it really has to do with the

with the israeli elections coming out of. the euro is really playing with fire here . you putting into the whole equation there that the recent a woman policy i think the current israeli government is currently the biggest threat to the u.s. all right and just briefly you say dangerous playing with fire could there be a regional war as the outcome of all of this just briefly. i don't know the roosters there for the past thirty years or so and it's definitely there to do it that i can we really appreciate it and thank you for joining us live there from. well do stay with r.t. we're live here in moscow for the latest on girls that we've also got live coverage on our website and twitter stream britain makes a push to support the rebels in syria. and london hosts the new your position alliance and joins from some calls to lift the e.u. weapons in boggo to allow for direct arms deliveries to fighters on the ground

that's still to come for you. i'd also to form a coalition generals were acquitted of war crimes in the hague leading to price of bias over the bloody division of yugoslavia ninety ninety five we bring you the details of all ness in just a couple minutes after the break. things are just getting too expensive in london many families just can't afford to live in the city anymore so because of upcoming welfare cuts the government is buying or rented property to relocate people outside of the city the maximum housing allowance for welfare will go down to four hundred pounds a month which is peanuts compared to the one thousand two hundred fifty pounds need to pay for the average three room apartment expelling the poor from london seems

a bit fishy to me so instead of say regulating prices or cock for big using the money from the welfare cuts to create jobs so people can earn a living for themselves rather than rely on handouts london has decided to make itself some official get to. what is to call a place where everyone from a certain economic classes forcibly shove to although this may sound like some sort of help from the government it seems to me like a means to get rid of the poor rather than trying to make the poor less poor but that's just my opinion. resistance is not the politics but a culture. this could get. on its own.

cultures of resistance on our team. would be so much brighter if you live from france to question its. start on t.v. dot com. live here in moscow the news continues now german chancellor angela merkel says the friendship between moscow and berlin is made stronger by disagreements mrs merkel meeting president putin in the russian capital said important issues should be brought into the open let's get to the details now live from our t.v.

company going off in central moscow while the two didn't see eye to eye on everything as far as we can tell of course this is. a strategic partnership with those most leaders of refer to it as knowledge and that there are many questions in it but so they say that to this kind of dialogue at these meetings does help only strengthen this relationship even though there are differences of opinions on both sides of the issues were talked about but if we look at international. stories then of course the escalating crisis in the middle east was a discussed by both cedars and angela merkel has put the responsibility on this article ation of violence on hamas also in talking about syria where the one person said that the last thing russia and germany want is chaos in. syria and the russian president says that if you're talking about president assad having to leave power first. everybody needs to have some sort of understanding of on what sort of future

is there going to be in syria say if president assad leaves so there has to be more clear understanding and perhaps. some sort of a structure of what to expect politically including from of the opposition leader two leaders have also discussed the human rights situation in russia and go america actually came here to moscow probably already with a list of questions were prepared by the members of the german parliament of issues that they wanted the german leader to discuss with the russian president she said that she does have some concern around the several laws which have been passed recently in russia but at the same time she said that this meeting gave a good opportunity for the russian president to explain what's behind these walls sort of to create a clear understanding for germany on what's really happening here in russia and also the controversial case you write case was to discuss this well just to remind

you the band performs at this point where last still winter right in the in christ the savior of the usual in central moscow they said that it was an anti government kind of political act but were found guilty of hooliganism based on religious hatred there are several members of the band are currently in jail and the russian president has said once again that service one career is not the only controversial advanta that the girls were involved in over the past few years and stressed that it's very difficult to support people who often have elements often religious or racial hatred in their activities i gotta thank you very much indeed art is going to spin off live there in central moscow. where. the nations have begun a crusade of support for the syrian rebels britain says it will discuss the lifting of an e.u. arms embargo to start sending weapons to the opposition france the first country to

recognize the newly formed anti regime alliance the national coalition is also pushing for supplies of defensive arms the syria position went to london today to lobby for more support to overthrow the assad government but months to see a clear plan a political transition from the alliance and could be next in line to officially recognize the new group. turkey gave the rebels a major boost recognizing them as the legitimate representative of the country's people german journalist manual oxon writer i spoke to him here on r.t. he says that turkey's move to help the opposition could eventually backfire against its people but within the last turkey was supporting the red lights and i don't see the syrian rebels we know that the rebels are fighting against syrian government are coming from all over the region they are coming from because it's reaching there or coming from of yemen we know that there are rebels coming from movie and even from sudan but that turkey is providing the infrastructure for these mercenaries are jihadists who are coming into the syrian country this politics

towards syria very short term politics it's the fuel short term and if you were to disappear and if syria peacefully among the warlords in this country which i was supported by the west by turkey and by. countries such jerky will witness these warlords sooner or later of taking also turkey and i think the turkish people knows that this politics is drawing against the interests of that which we have now demonstrations. against the against that form of politics the word syria because you know that this is violating. the un yugoslavia war crimes court in the hague is free to form a croatian generals acquitting them of all charges in. clued in crimes against humanity. and law didn't like catch were jailed last year for twenty four eighteen years respectively charged with killing scores of serbs during the breakup of

yugoslavia in one thousand nine hundred ninety five they appealed their sentences in a disputing that they never targeted civilians let's now i get some analysis from john laughlin he's director of studies of the cheat of democracy and cooperation joining me live there in paris well that the creation's they're celebrating this decision while the serbs they're condemning it but what's your view on all of this well it's a very political decision. of course are furious that think that. you know it's almost like a national day for them. the thing is that the the most important thing though i think to remember or to understand about this acquittal today is that it shows the incredibly arbitrary nature of the tribunals modus operandi these men were sentenced to twenty and eighteen years in prison and yet the appeal decision has completely overturned their conviction and obviously liberated them immediately

and the reason why it's felt able to do this is because it is simply reassess the standards for the mode of liability that there's a technical term called joint criminal enterprise it suddenly decided the appeals chamber suddenly decided that there had not been a joint criminal enterprise after all and that the people should be acquitted in other words it overturned child chambers decision purely on. a matter of liability and not on any new evidence that would normally be the only reason for quitting someone on appeal as it stands what's happened technically speaking is that these men have been victims of a gross miscarriage of justice but they trouble is not putting it that way it just carries on regardless so where does that leave john where does that leave the. iles of the former serb leader radovan karat itch and also the other trial we're expecting to hear about that it will have an application to talk doesn't have any

implication on them but of course it just rams home in the view of many serbs most so i'm sure the fact that the at the hague tribunal is totally biased against them after all. was a military general just like red red combatant ships almost certain that loutish will be convicted. in fact he's already been declared guilty by the hague tribunal whereas all the non-circular leaders who have been tried by the hague tribunal to today but. from kosovo in the past particularly rebel shouted knight they have systematically been acquitted or been given symbolic sentences as was the case for . the bosnian muslim commander insoluble in britain it's just and so does this pave the way for creation entry to the e.u. and indicate implications there just briefly well the grace show is definitely going to become a member of the union next july that's not in question but i think that yes this

decision is probably linked politically to that because it would be rather difficult wouldn't it to have an e.u. member whose policy had been judged to be criminal in the wards john thanks very much indeed john laughlin joining me live there in paris. the first ever public vote in england and wales for local police and crime commission as comes with moral among the nation's law enforcers at rock bottom a recent poll of officers suggested that almost every single one of them felt abandoned by the government the risk missed looks at why the thin blue line has the blues. another day not the damage. to the trials but while the boys and girls they really do their jobs sometimes it impossible conditions the government to switch to seeing their budget by a massive twenty percent. the net result morrall in the force hits an all time low with just fifteen out of fourteen thousand officers saying they feel the government

gives them a great deal of support rachel baines is surprised but not in a good way. to say their fifteen offices are certainly in the force i work in lancashire and i don't have any offices to fill up been supported by the government that rock bottom baines has lost five hundred fifty officers from her force meaning more work for those left behind and a genuine fear that when people call nine nine nine there won't be anyone left to deal with the emergency and she's not alone so i'm in pain is chair of the warrick ship police federation and says morale hasn't been this low in his twenty six year career we have a plethora of issues over the last two years where the start or conditions of service with pension reforms or with forms in the police. twenty percent cuts in a forgiving example here in work prior to this government coming to power we had

a thousand and fifty offices we're now down into the seven hundreds we have one of the biggest mites were networks in the country and we have no traffic department. so it's coming from all sides times are so hard in war that the force is even selling off its stations including its h.q. there's no for sale boards up here but the iconic scotland yard headquarters of the metropolitan police is also on the markets it's a real turnaround just a year ago they met with trumpeting a three billion pound refurbish it spain was revolving starting now it's downsizing to a new size of the thames nearby and replacing smaller stations with counters in supermarkets and community. the force feels it's being disproportionately targeted but home secretary theresa may is unrepentant let's stop pretending that being picked on

they do you feel picked on and critically powerless to protect themselves as legally the police aren't allowed to strike but that could change in february we have. every right. to the rank of chief inspector in england wales and that very question do they want rights and and the reason that is important. is. protecting from what they see. treatment by. the police force on strike it's the last thing the government needs to take. another winter discontents in the face. r.t. . more news in thirty five minutes. you

can tell an ordinary russian. in the blink of an. anthropologist in those days siberians were different clothes eight different food . different animals. but what about. my journey began in two men but the big city was all shiny all funded skyscrapers and shopping malls much like any other prosperous russian post. so i decided to. a small town just outside. many. dumplings came from here to dominate the russian cuisine but only in siberia . still though with cabbage and jam making sure you can have many as a starter main dish.

although it may draw. most people in siberia see nothing wrong with hunting though only if you decide to participate. when you look upon martin. is in the middle of a swamp only accessible by air transport in the summer months and winter a path is clear. it's inhabited by siberian a large muslim minority that migrated head before the russians. and this. israel siberia maybe not the stuff of tourist brochures but distinctive enough to show that after all these years cyber is still not quite like anywhere else.